Loyola U. Chicago sanctions Hillel, Students for Justice in Palestine

JTA – Loyola University Chicago has determined that the campus chapters of both Hillel and Students for Justice in Palestine violated university rules.

A board of Loyola administrators ruled Friday that both organizations had broken the rules in a campus incident on Sept. 9, an announcement issued by the university said.

In the incident, members of Students for Justice in Palestine attempted to block and protest a table set up by Hillel to promote Taglit-Birthright Israel trips. Consequently, the Loyola Chicago SJP chapter was temporarily suspended. It has been reinstated.

The board ruled that Hillel had violated the university’s “solicitation policy” by setting up a promotional table for a non-Loyola organization without the proper approvals. SJP, in turn, was found culpable for failing to gain prior approval to hold an organized demonstration.

As a penalty, the board has placed SJP on probation for the rest of this academic year. Also, the pro-Palestinian organization must “participate in training related to inter-group dialogue methods to expand the group’s knowledge and skills in engaging in difficult and meaningful discussions,” according to the university.

For Hillel’s violation, its officers must help to provide training and information to other student organizations about “the importance of registering events on campus, specifically tabling events.”

The organizations can appeal but had not done so by the afternoon of Nov. 3.